A poetry reading in honor of National Poetry Month will be held in the Snell/Williams Courtyard at USF St. Petersburg on Friday, May 17, 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The event is co-sponsored by USF St. Petersburg and YellowJacket Press, a non-profit, independent press that supports Florida poets and is the only statewide publisher of poetry chapbook manuscripts. Friday’s event is billed as the after-party for National Poetry Month, which was in April.

Meryl Statford, will read from The Magician’s Daughter, the 2013 YellowJacket Press Poetry Contest winning selection. She will be joined by poets Peter Meinke, Michael Bates, Thèrese Tappouni, Melanie Hubbard and Gloria Muñoz.

The evening will also feature music, a raffle of literary oddities and keepsakes, and refreshments for a small donation. The event is free and open to the public, with a suggested donation of $5 to benefit YellowJacket Press. The Williams-Snell Courtyard is on 2nd Street S between 5th and 6th avenues S in downtown St. Petersburg.

For here for more information or or call USF St. Petersburg Associate Professor of English Thomas Hallock at (727) 873-4954.